Sample taking apparatus



s. RQBlHAux Er Al.

SAMPLE TAKING APPARATUS Filed Ap1-11 15, 1952 FeB. 27, 1934.

Patented Feb. 27,

i 1,94s,631 :SAMPLEr 'rame ArPAaA'rus Sostliene Robichaux, Saratoga, and George J.

Y Barrett, Houston, Tex.

.Application April 15, 1932. Serial No.'605,464

- 7 Claims.

Ellis invention relates to a sample taking appara us. v

An object oi' this invention is to provide appa-` ratus for taking cores, or samples, of the formation being pierced in drilling wells and which embodies a drill stem and core forming drill and a barrel having a sample chamber to receive the cores, or samples, lsaid barrel being located in said-stem and a section thereof being mounted on anti-friction bearings to the end that said section of the barrel will not rotate with the stem land will not break up or injure the core or sample.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character described having fluid passageways Il!v whereby a iiushing iluid may be supplied to the drill and embodying a novel construction whereby the flushing fluid may be excluded from the sample and sample chamber.

A further object is to provide a sample. taking apparatus which is adapted to'take either hard or soit cores or samples? A further object is to provide a sample taking device having a sample receiving barrel that may be withdrawn i'rom and reinserted in lthe stem lriothout withdrawing the stem and drill from the With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features `of construction, operation and arrange` e ment of parts an example of which is given in this rspecification and illustrated `in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure. 1 shows ya vertical sectional view of the lower end of the apparatus.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view of the upper end thereof.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the core barrel, and

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the means for anchoring the core barrel.

In the drawing 'the numeral 1 designates the drill stem tothe lower end of which a coupling 2 is attached and a core drill 3 is connected to this coupling by the drill collar 4. Leading downwardly through said collar and drill, from within the stem, are the channels 5through whichdriliing fluid may be supplied from the stern to the drill to ush away the cuttings.

Fitted closely within the drill collar and attached to the drill there is a tubular housing 6 i'orming a guide which is spaced from the collar 2 and stem 1 and whose upper end is flared, as at '7. The drill 3 has a central bore, or passageway 8, to admit the core, or sample, and this bore has an internal, upwardly facing seat 9 on which the lower end of the lower section 10 of the 'core barrel may rest. Within the drill around thev lower end of said barrel are any suitable anti-friction means said means, as shown, consisting of the raceway rings 11 and 12, with the anti-friction bali bearings 13 between said rings.

Within the core barrel, adjacent its lower end, there is -a downwardly converging slip seat 14 whereon the slips 15 are mounted and said slips are held in place in any suitable manner, as by the inside, annular shoulder 16 beneath said seat and the coil pressure springs 1'? which press against v the upper ends of the slips. 1

The lower.. section '10 oi core barrel is spaced from the housing 6 but the upper section 10- thereof, is fitted 'closely within the housing 6 to prevent the passage of the drilling iiuid down between said section 10 and the housing 6 and thus excludes said drilling fluid from the sample receiving chamber of the core barrel; The sections 10, 10' arev connected toswivel, said swivel connection referred to being formed by a flanged coupling 18 threaded onto one of said 19 of the other connectedI part and ball bearings 20'are interposed between the said conconnected parts and in engagement with a head l nected parts whereby the lower section 10 orb core barrel proper will remain stationary as the drill stem rotates in drilling. At the upper end of the section 10' of the barrel there is a valve cage 21 wherein the upwardly opening ball valve 22 is mounted.

Any suitable means may be provided for lowering the core barrel into place and for withdrawing it. As vshown there is an anchor 23 attached to the lcage 21 and pivotally mounted in saidanchor, on the crosspin 24, are the oppositely working dogs 25', 25 whose lower ends work through oppositely arranged slots in said 'anchor and are adapted to engage underneath the inside annular shoulder 26 in the "housing 6,- and to be retained in such engaged relation by the pressure o! a spring 27 between said dogs.

A dog actuator 28 works in the upper` end of the anchor 23 and its lower end is biiurcated to. embrace the upper ends of said dogs and a lcross pin 29` is anchored to said actuator and works through the upwardly diverging slots 30, 30 in the upper ends oi4 said dogs. The upper end of the actuator 28'has the head 31 thereon.

When the core barrel is located and secured in the drill stem, as shown in Figures 1 and 2V the core formed by the drill 3 will pass up intothe sample chamber o! the core barrel and the friction of the core with the lower section ofnthe barrel will cause said section to ,stand still and the core will not be broken up or injured by the rotation of the barrel section 10. As the barrel chamber is lled with the core or sample the valve 22 will lift to permit air or water and the like in the sample chamber toy pass out but said valve will prevent the entrance of drilling fluid into the sample chamber from above. As the core enters said chamber the slips 15 will move upwardly and outwardly to permit the free en trance oi said core.

When the core has been taken a suitable fishing tool may be lowered into the stem and engaged with the head 3l and the actuator pulled upwardly and thereupon the pin 29` moving upwardly in the slots 30, 30 will move the upper ends of the dogs 26 inwardly causing a corresponding inward movement of the lower ends of said dogs whereby the dogs are -disengaged from the shoulder 26 and the core barrel released and it may 4then be withdrawn for an inspection of the sample. As the barrel is pulled upwardly the slips l5 will move downwardly and inwardly on the seat ld and will grip and retain the core.

In order to locate the core barrel inthe stem 1 said barrel may be lowered and it will be guided into place by the guide 6 and when its lower end passes through the ring 12 and lands on the shoulder 9, the dogs 25 will have passed beneath and will engage under the shoulder 26 and the barrel will be thus anchored in place. The ilshing tool, whereby the barrel is lowered, may then be detached and removed and another core taken and removed as before.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is'.

1. In a sample taking device a drill having an inlet for a core, a tube associated with the drill, a core receiver in said tube having a core receiving chamber in communication with said inlet, anti-friction means for mounting said receiver whereby the -tube may rotate independently of theA receiver, said receiver being spaced from the tube and having an enlarged tubular portion which nts closely within, and may rotate with, said tube.

2. In a sample takingdevice a core forming drill' having an inlet for the core, a tube asso,

ciated with the drill, a tubular receiver in said tube having a sample chamber arranged to receive the core entering through said inlet, said receiver having an enlarged section which fits closely in, and forms a water tight joint with, said tube, said receiver having an outwardly o ening valve adjacent its upper end and having core retaining means at its lower'end.

3. In a sample taking device having a tube; a

. tubular sample receiver adapted to be inserted .voi

'incassi means connecting the sections to permit them to rotate relative to each other.

4. In a sample taking device having a tube and an associated core drill having a core inlet; a tubular sample receiver adapted to be inserted into said tube and having a sample chamber in communication with said inlet, said receiver having an enlarged portion adapted to. fit closely in the tube and a reduced portion adapted to be spaced from the tube and means connecting said portions to permit the enlarged portion to rotate with the tube independently of the reduced portion.

5. In a sample taking device having a tube and an associated core drill having a core inlet; a tubular sample receiver adapted to be inserted into said tube and having asample chamber in. communication with said inlet, said receiver having an enlarged portion adapted to ilt closely in the tube and a reduced portion adapted to be spaced from the tube and means connecting said portions to permit the enlarged portion to rotate with the tube independently of the reduced portion, and antifriction means whereon the reduced portion is mounted.

6. In combination, a, drill stem, a drilling tool at the lower end of the stem having an inlet, a tubular housing anchored in the stem, a core barrel having a reduced lower section whose lower end is open and aligned with said inlet and ld.` whose upper end is enlarged and fits closely within said housing, said sections of said barrel having a swivelling connection, an upwardly opening valve controlling the passagewayf through the barrel, an anchor in the housing lli connected to the upper end of the' core barrel, interlocking means carried by the anchor and housing respectively whereby said anchor and the barrel may be interlocked with the housing, a core retainer in the reduced section of the barrel, said anchor and barrel being insertable downwardly into the housing and said interlocking means being releasable to permit the withdrawal of the anchor and barrel from the housing and drill stem. 12u

7. A sample taking apparatus comprising a tubular drill stem, a drilling tool at the lower end of the stem having an inlet, a tubular housing anchored in the stem, a tubular core barrel in .the housing having a reduced lower section, whose lower end js open and aligned with said inlet and having an enlarged upper section which ts closely within said housing, said sections of said barrel having a swiveling connection, anvupwardly opening valve controlling the passage through the barrel, an anchor connected to the upper end of the core barrel, means carried by the anchor whereby said barrel may be locked within the housing, a core retainer carried by the barrel, said barrel being insertable downwardly into the housing and said locking means being releasable to permit the withdrawal ofthe barrel from the housing and stem and a flexible line connected to the anchor by means of which said core barrel and anchor may beso 14u withdrawn.

' SOS'IHEN'E ROBICHAUX.

GEORGE J. BARRETT.

rac' 

